Star Citizen's crowdfunding total shoots past $50 million

It takes a lot to make me pay attention to Star Citizen's funding total. It's like how if a black hole was inexorably growing at the edge of the solar system, you probably wouldn't check its progress towards the ultimate consumption of your reality. Not on a daily basis, at least.

Well, I say micro -transactions. The new purchase options range from $150-$350 for a standalone ship. These craft can't yet be used in the dogfighting module, either—instead, they form an ornamental gallery piece for your ship hanger.

It's a strange situation. As a fan of space games, I want to be enthusiastic about Star Citizen, but it's a game pre-game that—by dint of its store—raises significant questions. Can the developers live up to the fantasy that they're literally selling? Will the significant price of these ships hamper other players when the game finally launches? If not, will those who paid at this stage feel unsatisfied with their investment?

Having bypassed $50 million, players have now unlocked the alien languages stretch goal. The developers say they'll work with "real-world linguists" to make realistic languages for the game's three biggest alien races. Currently, no future stretch goals have been revealed.